Nate Paladino has today released his new album titled ‘Drown With Me’. Solidifying his reputation as a songwriter, Nate gives a solid set of stories set to music with his own attitude and style.
With just enough conviction mixed with the right amount of snark and weathered gamut spreading emotion, Nate Paladino shows us that darkness can survive in the light and vice versa with a friend-filled album meant for everyone and relatable to anyone.
About Nate Paladino
Singer-songwriter Nate Paladino is doggedly obsessed with capturing the truth, wherever that leads. Maybe it’s because he grew up in sunny Orange County, California – better known for its postcards than for the day to day experience of actually living there. “The more perfect the picture is, the more blind we can be to the emptiness and despondency behind it,” says Paladino. “I like exploring the cracks in the veneer and giving the messier details their due.”
Blues was Nate’s first musical love and a genre he sought to emulate when he began crafting his own tunes. “I wanted the listener to feel like they are part of something, in a conspiratorial way,” he reflects. His first effort, Like a Nail in Your Head (2011), was a calling card for his raw, spontaneous and intimate style. Not long after its release, Nate met drummer Jon Hyrkas and they formed an unbreakable bond through their mutual musical vision (and love of whiskey). They released the Good Boy EP in 2014 which was lauded by outlets like HuffPost and Baltimore Post-Examiner who called Nate a “…modern day Johnny Cash.” The duo began gigging around LA and OC where they met bassist Darren Faller who rounded out their musical trifecta. He fit right in, playing an essential role in the cultivation of their new sound.
In 2019, Nate, Jon and Darren began recording at MAPS Recording Studio with producer Mike Willson. Unfortunately, during the recording process Darren passed away suddenly. It was a tragic loss. Work on the record was halted for a very difficult grieving period. Then COVID hit. “It felt like everything in the universe was telling us to stop,” says Nate. “But Jon and I knew we had to finish the album – for our friend, and for ourselves.”
Reapproaching the material after a buffer of time, they could suddenly contextualize their experience in a new way. The once desultory collection of songs now seemed to make up a cyclical journey – beginning with desperation, escaping with some damaged hope, slowly growing into bitter acceptance and finally finding resolve through true healing. “We called the album Drown With Me because it’s an invitation,” says Paladino. “Bring your baggage and let’s circle the drain, together.”
The resulting recordings were finalized with a deep reverence for their friend, making for a unified, character-driven work that is dark, witty, authentic and heartbreaking. A work that embodies Paladino’s musical values, eliciting the charm and sincerity of The Mountain Goats and the literate allure of Leonard Cohen.
LINKS:
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